Analysis of Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Analysis of Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Complied
to fulfill the assignment of
Creative Writing:Drama
Lecturer:
Muhammad Afifi,M.Pd
Complied by :
Mochamad Deva Firmansyah (932201716)
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULITY OF EDUCATION
STATE INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC STUDIES (IAIN) KEDIRI
2019
I.
Introduction
a.
Renaissance
Renaissance is a period of revival of
european culture, it is taken from old french,
literally is re-birth. Renaissance begin in Italy in the late
middle age, exactly in 14th century, then spreading throughout european. The
main emersion factor of renaissance is the dominion of the church in that era. Christianity
greatly influenced the policies made by the government. As if the king does
not have the power, even the church that govern the government. With the variety of restrictions by the government based on the
advice of the church then arise a cultural movement, initially a renewal in the
field of psychological, social, and ecclesiastical in Italy in the mid 17th
century. In England, renaissance arise in Elizabethan era from the late 15th and early 16th centuries to the early 17th
century. Renaissance in England marked with emersion of cultural and artistic
movement. The figure of England renaissance are divided into 3 fields, those
are literature, architecture, and music. In literature they are Wiliam
Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, Sir Thomas More, while in arthistic
there is Inigo Jones, and music they are Thomas Tallis, John Taverner, Wiliam
Byrd. Wiliam Shakespeare as a playwright, write all of his work in renaissance,
Macbeth is one of his play masterpiece.
The impact of renaissance are Growth of freedom,
independence, and individual self-reliance, development of science, technology,
art and culture, the collapse of the dominance of the church, strengthening the
position of the bourgeois so they grow up to be the ruling class, prompting
search new areas so aglow era of ocean exploration.
b.
Biography
of William Shakespeare
William
Shakespeare was born on April, 23 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England.
His father, John Shakespeare is a businessman and his mother, Mary Arden
Shakespeare is a daughter of a landowner. He studied at the King's
New School in Stratford, about a quarter-mile from his home. In 1582, when he
was 18 years old, he married with an older woman Anne Hathaway. From his marriage he
had three children, they are Susanna Shakespeare, Hamnet Shakespeare and Judith
Shakespeare.
He began a successful career
in London as a writer and actor in 1580s. In 1594, Shakespeare joined the Lord
Chamberlain's company of actors, the most popular of the companies acting at
Court. In 1599 Shakespeare joined a group of Chamberlain's Men. Shakespeare’s
Sonnets is his first masterpiece which
was published, exactly sonnets 138 and 144 in 1599 and completely published in
1609. Shakespeare Sonnets is a poems. Overall, the work of William Shakespeare divided
into two types, those are plays and poems. Particular for his is plays he
categorized into three genre, those are histories, comedies, and tragedies. Several
Shakespeare’s work in poems are Shakespeare’s
Sonnets, Vennus and Adonis, and The Phoenic and The Turtle. Whereas
plays there are King John and Richard II in histories, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet in tragedies, last, The Commedy in Errors and As
You Like it in comedies.
In 1612 Shakespeare retired
from the stage and returned to his home in Stratford. He lived there until died on April 23, 1616,
and was buried two days later at Stratford Church.
II.
Story
of The Play
In a thunderstorm, three witches decide to meet again on the
heath "after the deed is
done."
Next, a sergeant reports to King Duncan that Macbeth defeat Macdonwald in
battle. The three witches face Macbeth and Banquo on the way home
from the battle. They predict that Macbeth will becomes the King of Scotland. Three
witches leave and Ross informs Macbeth that he has inherited the title Thane of
Cawdor, it same with the witches prediction too. Macbeth pondering the
prediction that he will become the king, and wonders whether he should help
make it happen. Malcolm reports to King Duncan that Cawdor admitted his
betrayal at his execution. The king then warmly greets Macbeth and Banquo. To
Macbeth's worry, King Duncan announces his eldest son, Malcolm, Prince of
Cumberland.
At
Inverness Castle, Lady Macbeth learns of her meeting with the witches and
decide that she will persuade Macbeth to fulfill his destiny through foul play.
Lady Macbeth is informed by her husband that King Duncan will come to her
castle and leave at that night. Then she makes a plan to reinforce her decision
to kill Duncan. When Macbeth appears, his wife tells him that she will do the
foul deed herself. After that Duncan arrives and Macbeth tells his wife that he
doesn't want to kill Duncan. However after Lady Macbeth speak out the tongue
lashing, Macbeth agree to kills Duncan. Past midnight, Macbeth talking with
Banquo, when he alone, he hallucinates there is a bloody dagger in front of
him. Macbeth meets his wife and tells her that he killed Duncan. Macbeth
forgets to return the daggers to the king's guards, so his wife who does it for
him, bloodying herself too.
They return to their chambers, while Macduff and
Lennox appear at the castle gates. Macbeth greets them and they ask to see
Duncan. Macduff and Macbeth discover the body.
Macbeth
accidentally admits that he kill Duncan, then recants. Duncan's sons, Malcolm
and Donalbain, escape to England and Ireland, fear for their own lives. Furthermore,
Macduff and Ross discuss that all have decided that Malcolm and Donalbain bribe
the guards to kill Duncan. Consequently, Macbeth is declared as the king. At
Scotland's castle (Forres), Macbeth ponders how he fears Banquo may give breed
to children who may overthrow Macbeth. Macbeth convinces (hires) to men to
murder Banquo and his son, Fleance. Macbeth worrying his wife by informing her
about Banquo and Fleance's impending death. The murderers successfully kill
Banquo, but Fleance escapes.
On
the heath, The three witches make a brew chanting "double, double, toil and trouble."
Macbeth approaches and asks three questions. The witches answer: 1. Beware
Macduff, 2. None of woman borne will harm Macbeth, and 3. Macbeth will until
Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane Hill. Finally the ghost of
Banquo appears, showing his eight future royal descent. Lennox and another Lord
discuss that Macduff has gone to England to convince the innocent Malcolm to
join with Northumberland and Siward to against Macbeth. They inform Macbeth
that Macduff has escaped to England. Macbeth swears to fight them at Fife. Lady
Macduff deplores that her husband is a traitor,and almost dead.
In
England, Macduff and Malcolm agree to fight together against Macbeth. Ross
delivers the devastating news for Macduff that his son and wife are dead. A
doctor and servant observe Lady Macbeth when she was sleepwalking and
sleep-talking about Duncan's death. Menteith, Angus, Caithness, and Lennox
discuss the impending battle with Macbeth and Birnam wood. In Dunsinane Castle,
Macbeth is informed that an army of 10,000 is near. At Birnam wood, Malcolm
commands his soldiers to cut the trees and use them as camouflage. The army
arrives and Macbeth fights and kills young Siward. Next, Macduff and Macbeth
fight. Macduff informs Macbeth that he (Macduff) was ripped from his mother's
womb, and thus, not born of woman. Soon after that, Macduff kills Macbeth.
Macduff then crowns Malcolm as the new King of Scotland.
III.
Analysis
Accordance with the title, the writer would analyzing Macbeth
based on Aristotle’s
theories
of tragedy. Aristotle
(The Poetics of Aristotle : 10) define that tragedy is an imitation of serious
action which has a certain magnitude. Every Tragedy, therefore, must have six
parts, which parts determine its quality— namely, Plot, Character, Diction,
Thought, Spectacle, Song. (The Poetics of Aristotle:10). Based on the
explanation above, tragedy contains six elements, those are: plot, character,
diction, thought, spectacle, and song.
a.
Plot
The Plot, then, is the first principle,
and, as it were, the soul of a tragedy (The Poetics of Aristotle:10), it mean
the plot is the soul of the story, and story here refer to tragedy. The plot
requirements of Aristotle’s tragedy are
well constructed, can be felt with the aid, incident with the relatives,
reversal of the situation, recognition of the situation, and suffering.
- Well
Constructed
The first one is well constructed. The plot of the play can be said
well constructed if there are existence of causality in it. In Macbeth, causality can be find in act 1
.It can be seen from the following dialogue,
First Witch : All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane
of glamis!
Second Witch : All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane
of Cowdor!
(Macbeth, act 1, scene 3:7)
From the above dialogue the writer conclude that the witches forecast
that Macbeth will be a King, it is a cause. Meanwhile the effect, it can be
proved with the following dialogue,
MACBETH : [Aside]
Glamis, and thane of Cawdor! The greatest is behind.
(Macbeth,act 1, scene 3:9)
Macbeth’s dialogue
indicates that he begins has an ambitions to be a King. This is the effect of
the witches’ forecast.
- Eyes
(It can be felt the aid)
The second requirement of the plot in tragedy is it can be felt
with the aid. The writer
interprete the term “aid” are fear and pity. In Macbeth the fear
can be found when Macbeth is going to kill Duncan, but the situation is highly
tense, the Duncan’s protection is very tight.
LADY
MACBETH : Alack, I am afraid they have awaked, . . . done’t.
(Macbeth,
act 2, scene 2 : 20)
Meanwhile the pity can be found when Lady Macbeth in under pressure
and fear.
LADY MACBETH : O proper stuff! This is very painting
of your fear : This is the air drawn dagger which, you said,. . .stool.
(Macbeth, act 3,
scene 4:38)
Viewed from Lady Macbeth’s dialogue, she is under pressure and fear
because of her and his husband deed. (Kill Duncan and Banquo).
- Incident
with the relatives
In tragedy the conflict always involves
relatives. In Macbeth this
requirement can be
found in act 1 scene 2,
DUNCAN
: O valiant cousin! worthy gentelman!
(Macbeth, act 1,
scene 2:5)
In Macbeth, the
conflict occur between Macbeth and King Duncan. The Duncan’s dialogue above
indicates about his admiration to Macbeth because he (Macbeth) has won the
fight against Macdonwald. Meanwhile the underlined word (cousin) is the
relatives relationship between Duncan and Macbeth. In addition, the following
Macbeth’s dialogue also show about his relatives relationship with Duncan.
MACBETH
: If it . ..First, as I his kinsman and . .other.
(Macbeth, act 1,
scene 7:16)
The underlined word indicates that Duncan is kinsman of Macbeth.
- Reversal
of The Situation
Reversal of the
Situation is a change by which the action veers round to its opposite, subject
always to our rule of probability or necessity. (The Poetics of Aristotle:15).
Based
on the explanation above reversal of the situation means a condition where the
situation is opposite from the truth. In Macbeth,
the reversal situation appears when Macbeth and his wife are shocked after know
the death of Duncan as if they don’t know about it.
MACBETH : What is ‘t you say the life?
(Macbeth, act 2, scene 3:25)
LADY MACBETH : What’s the business, that
such a hideous trumpet calls. . .speak!
(Macbeth, act 2, scene 3:25)
Based on the dialogue
of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth above, indicates that they don’t know about the
situation at that time. On the other hand, they are the mastermind of the Duncan’s
murder.
-
Recognition of The Situation
Aristotle (The Poetics of Aristotle:16) define that recognition is the changing of situation,
it
can be producing love or hate between . The outline is the condition where the
reversal situation is revealed. The recognition of Macbeth appears when Lady Macbeth has been saying and doing some freaky things in
her sleep-walking.
LADY MACBETH :
Out, damned spot! out, I say!—One: two: why, then, ’tis time to
do’t.—Hell is
murky!—Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear
who knows it,
when none can call our power to account?— Yet who would have
thought the old
man to have had so much blood in him.
(Macbeth, act
5, scene 1:60)
LADY MACBETH :Wash
your hands, put on your nightgown; look not so pale.—I tell you yet again, Banquo’s
buried; he cannot come out on’s grave.
(Macbeth, act 5, scene
1:60)
Lady Macbeth’s dialogue in sleep-walking
represents that she knows all about the
Murder, both Duncan or
Banquo’s murder. The underlined word in the first dialogue above (old man)
refers to Duncan.
- Beginning
Beginning is a part of
plot that shows the story started. Beginning contains the
introduction of the
character and conflict. In Macbeth the
beginning found in the dialogue when Macbeth meets with three witches who
forecast that he (Macbeth) will be a King, that
is the conflict of the
story.
Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth, thou
shalt be king hereafter!
(Macbeth, act 1, scene 3:8)
- Middle
Middle of the plot is the situation when
the conflict become stronger and complicated.
The middle in Macbeth can be identified in act two, three and four. In the act
two Macbeth and his wife implement their plan, that is kill Duncan. However
Macbeth has no courage to kill Duncan, because of it Lady Macbeth who will kill
Duncan.
LADY MACBETH: Infirm of purpose! Give me
the daggers: the sleeping and the dead
. . .
guilt.
(Macbeth,
act 2, scene 2:21)
Meanwhile in the act three Macbeth and
his wife have became a king and a queen. It
Can be
viewed from the stage direction below.
[Sennet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as
king, LADY MACBETH, as queen, LENNOX,
ROSS, Lords, Ladies, and Attendants.]
(Macbeth, act 3, scene
1:29)
The last is
act four, in act four Macbeth is foretold by the apparitions that there are
three
danger
of Macbeth. Those are an armed head warns him to beware of Macduff. Second, a
bloody child promises, None of woman born shall harm Macbeth.Macbeth welcomes
this good news and, assuming Macduff was born the natural way, Macbeth thinks
he has nothing to fear.
Second Apparition: Be bloody, bold, and
resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm
Macbeth.
(Macbeth, act 4, scene 1:46)
- Ending
Ending is where the story will be end. In Macbeth, ending can be found in act
five, it is
when Lady Macbeth and Macbeth died.
SEYTON: The
queen, my lord, is dead
(Macbeth, act 5, scene
5:65).
Refer to the dialogue above, SEYTON inform to
Macbeth that his wife (Lady Macbeth) is
dead.
[Re-enter
MACDUFF, with MACBETH’s head.]
(Macbeth, act 5, scene
8:69).
Meanwhile the death of Macbeth known from the
stage direction above, the underlined
word means that Macbeth was dead.
b.
Character
Character is the
person, thing, object that has big influence in a story, drama, etc., it
represents the story to the audiences. There are three types of character,
those are : protagonist, antagonist, and tritagonist. However in this paper the
writer will analyze only for the protagonist. Protagonist is the principal
character in a story, drama, novel, etc. who get big role along the story. It
means the protagonist has a high consistency in a story. In Macbeth, the protagonist are Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
c.
Characterization
Characterization is the
reflection of the character, it divide into four part, those are :
physical, moral, social
and psychological.
v Macbeth
·
Physical : Macbeth is a strong and brave man
because he is a general
of the King’s
army. It proved with introduction of character in
Macbeth.
MACBETH & BANQUO:
generals of the king’s army.
(Macbeth:3)
·
Moral : Macbeth is obedient man, he is always obey Duncan’s
Command. However after three witches
prophesying him, he
begins ambitious to be a king.
·
Social : Macbeth is known as the wise general of King’s army
·
Psychological : Macbeth is an inconsistent man, it proved
with he has a big
ambitions to kill Duncan, but he doesn’t has
courage.
However after his wife speak out the
tongue-lashing, finally
he still be going to kill Duncan.
MACBETH:
[Aside] Glamis, and thane of Cawdor!
The greatest is behind.
(Macbeth, act 1, scene 3:9)
The underlined word means the ambition
of Macbeth to be a king is appear.
MACBETH
: If we were done . . .we still have judgment here;, , First, as I am
his kinsman and his subject
. .other.
(Macbeth,
act 1, scene 7:15)
The underlined word in the dialogue
above represents the reason why Macbeth have no courage.
MACBETH : I am settled, and bend up
Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.
Away, and mock the time with fairest show:
False face must hide what the false heart
doth know.
(Macbeth, act 1, scene 7:17)
The underlined word represents that
Macbeth giving admiration to his wife because of her
plan to murder Duncan is briliant.
v Lady Macbeth
·
Physical : The writer consider that
in Macbeth can’t be found the
physical of Lady Macbeth.
·
Moral : She supports her husband to fulfill his
destiny, that is
kill Duncan, and then her husband will be a
king.
·
Social : Lady Macbeth is known as a firm
gentlewoman.
·
Psychological : Lady Macbeth is a smart and firm
woman, but she has
a fear, she always followed by gost of
Banquo.
d.
Spectacle
Spectacle
is the most immediate element appropriate and distinctive (but perhaps
least
important for the "drama / play"). In this paper the writer didn’t
analyze the spectacle because it only can be analyzed if the play is real form
(perform) and not script form.
e.
Dialogue,
Diction, and Thought
Dialogue
is the main element of drama / play, it can be talked by two persons or
more.
Aristotle (The Poetics of Aristotle:26) define that diction is a word choice /
word pattern to convey the message, it can be a command, statement, or
interrogative. Meanwhile thought is we may assume what is said in the Rhetoric,
to which inquiry the subject more strictly belongs (The Poetics of
Aristotle:25). The writer will analyze the following dialogue based in the
theory of diction and thought.
LADY
MACBETH: What’s the business, That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley
The
sleepers of the house? speak, speak!
MACDUFF:
O gentle lady,
’Tis
not for you to hear what I can speak:
The
repetition, in a woman’s ear,
Would murder as it fell.
(Macbeth, act 2, scene
2:25)
Lady Macbeth open the dialogue above, based on
diction theory that is an interrogative
sentence, she asks why
the hideous trumpet that sign the parley was rang. Meanwhile based on thougt
theory, Lady Macbeth is lie, as if she doesn’t know about the Duncan murder.
Whereas she is the mastermind of the murder. The second dialogue is delivered
by Macduff, based on diction theory that is statement. While based on thought
theory the Macduff’s dialogue interpreted that he is being sad (in sadness).
IV.
References
Ø
Bentley, G. E. (1961), Shakespeare: A Biographical
Handbook, New Haven: Yale University Press
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